


Drinking Buddies

by PoisonBasil



Series: Temperance's Temptations [3]
Category: DCU
Genre: Female Tim Drake, Mentioned Temperance Drake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 07:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12127848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonBasil/pseuds/PoisonBasil
Summary: Agony Aunt Jason - How was this his life?





	Drinking Buddies

Jason will always question why people come to him for advice. It's not as though he's nice. He's sometimes horrible so that these situations don't happen. It seems as though the bats have decided that he isn't as evil as they thought he was when he first came back from the dead. Jason would bet anything that this was the replacements fault. Just because they were on friendly terms did not give Dick the right to barge his way into Jason's new safe house. Now he was going to have to move again. Goddammit he really liked this one.

Jason looks over at Dick and cannot decide on whether to laugh at him or cry. It’s his night off. No patrolling, no bats, no scumbags facing being kicked in by him. Just Jason, the TV and whatever shitty take out he was going to order. Simple. Nothing was simple in Gotham. Especially with this particular family. Dick look like he’s about to cry while he is holding a six pack in his hand. It’s going to be one of those nights. 

What was his life? Sighing Jason grabs the drinks from Dick and moves towards the sofa. If he’s going to be putting up this him for the rest of the night, he wasn’t going to do it sober. He watches as Dick slowly slumps into the cushions and wonders what brought him here tonight, Jason’s guessing something pretty big, due to the alcohol.

“Sorry Jay, I - I just didn’t know where else to go you know?” Jason cannot see his face due to the hands currently covering Dick’s face.

“I panicked and this was the only place that I could thing to go!”

Jason continues to look, what the hell was going on? What the hell happened to Dick that his last resort was to come to him?

“Whats up Dick?” Dick lowers his hands and scowls at Jason, hearing the insult. “Whats got your pants all twisted up?”

Jason grabs one of the bottles and twists the cap off. At least it’s cold is all Jason thinks as he takes a swig. Dick looks like he’s working himself up to something and Jason is happy to see him stew, so he just leans back and waits for him to say something. 

Dick is fisting his hands on his thighs and clenching his jaw. Finally what he says is nothing that Jason was expecting. “When did Temp get so hot?” 

“Sorry what?” 

Jason takes a minute to stare blindly at Dick - did he just say what he think he said? Temperance? That’s what has him all worked up? What the hell happened? Jason is so caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn’t hear most of what Dick says next.

“-tle sister!” Jason zones back in on that. Was Dick serious? He still actually thought like that? Everyone thought that maybe Dick has got over that thinking of her that way.

Jason can guess what happened to be honest, there are times when Dick gets weird looks on his face when he is around Temperance. Jason thought maybe Dick had finally figured out his feelings for her and was just being awkward about it. Apparently that was not the case. 

“Dicky, she aint your little sister, she is no one’s little sister you know that right?” Jason sees Dick’s face crumple. Part of him wants to be nice, but this is Dick and he needs to get slapped in the face with realisations. “She hasn’t ever thought of you as her brother seriously, she only does it because she knows that’s what you want.”

Already half way through his own bottle Jason grabs another and forces it into Dicks hand. He was not going to be the only one drinking tonight. Jason watches as he necks half the bottle. Damn, this was more serious than he thought.

He watches as Dick picks at the bottles label as though it holds all the answers. Dick’s blue eyes look over at him. “I know that. I just, what was I supposed to do? She used to follow me around, being all cute and cuddly! She was like family, all smiles when ever I was around. The little sister I needed at the time. There was no way Bruce was going to be my sunshine and rainbows.”

Jason snorts at the image. Bruce forcing smiles whenever a younger Dick was in the vicinity. It was amusing and sad. Jason got where Dick was coming from though. Having someone there? When you feel like your world is crashing around you? Especially someone as sweet and caring as Temperance, there was nothing that could beat it.  
“Still though big wing, you gotta know that she aint no little girl anymore right?” Dicks groan is the only response Jason gets before Dick finishes off his bottle.

“I know that’s the problem Jay!” Jason slowly sips his beer as he lets Dick vent at him. “When did she become this - this...” his arms are gesturing wildly, “Woman!” To Jason, it looks as though that physically pained Dick to say that.

“Probably somewhere around her 18th birthday?” Jason takes a guess.

“Im serious little wing! Yesterday she was this tiny bundle of pink and today she was all curvs while we were sparring!” Jason watches as Dick’s face goes red as he remembers earlier this evening.

Jason starts laughing. He can’t help it. The thought of Dick popping a boner while fighting and being so utterly confused. He can see why though. Watching Temperance spar is an experience. All tight muscle and control. It’s super hot to watch. Jason just does not understand how Dick’s never been in this situation before.

Jason puts his now empty bottle on the floor and goes to grab another bottle. What is Dick expecting him to do? Agree with him? Well he is not sorry to disappoint.”

 

“I am being serious Dick, I’ve always thought that Tee was attractive even when she was wearing that ugly pink dress when I first met her at B’s gala.” Dick looks betrayed. “You know me and Tee have only ever been friends Dicky, but I can still tell she is hot as hell.”

“Really? I thought you and Temp had a thing?” Jason can see that Dick is trying for casual, though he is utterly failing with the white knuckled fists he has clenching. Jason smirks and that causes Dick to frown a little.

“We’ve kissed, but that’s it - “ “You’ve kissed!?” “and that was for a case, we were undercover at the time.” Jason sniggers as some of the tension leaves Dick’s shoulders. Man that was better than he was expecting.

Dick sighs tipping his head back. “What am I going to do Jason, I can’t even look her in the face. Every time I tried I just remembered they way that she felt, all soft and smooth, her chest heavi-”

Jason interrupted Dick, uncomfortable with where that was going. “Ok, stop, just - just stop, that’s way more than I needed to know!” Jason doesn’t know what he has done to deserve being Dick’s shoulder to lean on. However he wishes he could go back in time and tell himself to stop whatever he was doing.

“It’s not like you can ignore her existence, you work with her and she goes to the Manor. Dicky you’re just going to have to man up.” Jason is nearly finishing his second bottle and he isn’t feeling anything yet.

“Jay, come on! You gotta help a brother out! I don’t know what to do!” Jason see’s that Dick is tearing up. God what was his life?

“Dude, that’s totally up to you. You wanna do anything about it? Or just move on and pretend that nothing’s happened?” Jason feels a little bad, due to Temperance being his best friend and knowing that she would likely kill him for even giving Dick the thought that he could put this behind him.

Jason did not know what else to do though. He wasn’t going to tell Dick that he knows that Temperance has feelings for him. He wouldn’t do that to her. There was also no telling what Dick would do if he did tell him, would he even believe him?

Dick is now groaning from his position on the sofa. “I don’t know, on one hand she is my little sister, even if she doesn’t see it that way.” Jason nods along. “But seeing her earlier in the cave, it was like she was someone else completely!” 

“I don’t know what you want me to say man. You have got to figure this out.”

“I don’t think I can go back to thinking of her purely as a sister anymore.” Dick is drinking his beer. 

“Good for you, what you gonna do now though?” Jason just wants this to be over as soon as possible.

Dick is shrugging his shoulders and bringing the bottle to his lips. “God, Jason, I really don’t know.” Dick uses his other hand to rub at his eyes. “I think I have to leave Gotham for a while. Clear my head and think about it.”

Jason slumps into his chair and stares at Dick. Of all the things, he’s going to run away. Temperance already had enough trouble thinking the family didn’t want her around and only kept her there so it was convenient for cases. Even worse she had said that Dick was being more weird around her lately and thought that maybe Dick was finding it hard to be around her now that Bruce was back and Damian was the new Robin. Running away now is probably the worst thing that he can do.

Jason moves so he can put a hand on Dicks knee. “You can’t do that man.” He looks Dick in the eye, trying to find the right words to say. “She’s going to take it the wrong way if you ignore her. She already thinks you don’t like her Dick.” The noise coming from Dick is like a dying snake as he sucks air between his teeth.

“She thinks I don’t like her?” Jason sees the look on Dick’s face, and thinks it looks like a child who has just found out it’s life was a lie.

“Dick, you started avoiding her before you even gave the Robin suit to the demon brat.”

“I di - Oh god she thinks I hate her, doesn’t she?” He’s wailing now, rubbing at his eyes more.

“I don’t think hates the right word - More like you don’t care?” Jason shrugs and sits back. He is done with all this bullshit, he has hurt Temperance enough with this attitude and actions towards her. “Not like you can blame the girl though. The way you took the suit and gave it to Damian, then left her with nothing and tried to get her committed. Some things don’t need to be said when it’s shown to you.” 

There are actual tears leaking from Dicks eyes now, this is exactly what Jason did not want to deal with. Emotional Dick is a whiny, clingy Dick.

“I never meant to make her feel like that Jay! She was my partner, my equal! I thought that she was grieving for Burce like Dami and I were! She was supposed to know that!” Jason just huffs at him clearly not caring for Dicks spiel.

“When was she supposed to understand all that Dicky? When her two best friends died? When Batgirl died? Maybe when her real dad was killed, or her adoptive father? I get that you were looking out for the little terror, but at least I was six feet under when I was replaced. You didn’t even mention it to her before the kid was in the colours.” Satisfaction rolls though Jason as he lays all this on Dick. Feeling like he has Temperance’s back, and is making up for some of the shit he put her through.

“You cannot keep running from her and expecting her to be there when you come back, it aint always going to work like that.”

Jason upon seeing how wrecked Dick is decides to stop being so harsh. But someone has to get through that thick skull of Dick’s and It’s not going to be Bruce.

Dick finishes his drink and interlocks his fingers and brings them over his eyes. “I was doing what I thought was right...”

“It’s fine Dick, Tee got someone to believe in her in the end, even if it happens to be the evil immortal that creeps on her.” If that fucker ever tries to lay another hand on her, Jason is going to be laying out his own type of justice on Ra’s.

“I just didn’t want to get my hopes up Jay…”

“Well, I guess you still have a shot - If she can forgive me for almost killing her a couple of times, I feel as though she could warm up to you again.”

“You think so? You think I can fix things?”

“It’s down to you what you do, you are just gonna have to work hard and not fuck it up again, I don’t know how many times she can be let down before she stops coming back.”

“I need some time though, I can’t look at her the same way… What do I do about that?”

“Dick you flirt with everyone, how is this difficult for you? You even flirt with me and the demon.”

“I don’t flirt with Damian!”

“Everyone, you even flirt with Tee when you can bring yourself to actually talk to her.” 

“But what if she notices what i’ve been thinking about? Temp is like crazy smart! There is no way i can hide this from her!”

“Dude you practically bolted out the cave after training with her, she knows something’s up, you just gotta convince Tee it wasn’t bad.” Jason runs his hands through his hair. “Tee probably thinks she’s done something wrong.”

“Oh god, I’m already messing this up!”

“That you are Dicky, but lucky or unlucky she is probably already on her way out of Gotham as we speak and on her way to Titans.” Dick’s face is scrunching up. 

“I gotta go make this right Jay…” 

Jason stands from the sofa and grabs Dicks forearm to pull him up too. “Alright Dick, this is what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna go home, get some sleep, have a shower and tomorrow you are going to get your ass to the Tower and apologize to her while groveling.” Jason has managed to get Dick to the door and is in the process of opening it.

“Thank you Jason, I really appreciate you talking to me.” It almost hurts to hear the sincerity in Dick’s voice.

“Yeah, yeah, just make sure the next time you come here looking for a drinking buddy, you are not here to complain about one of their best friends?” Jason smirks as he pulls the door the rest of the way open. “Now get out of my apartment, I had plans for tonight and you are taking up my precious time.” 

Dick is grinning brightly at him as he walks backwards out the door. “Goodnight Jason!” He turns and heads down the stairs.

Jason closes the door, heads for the kitchen so he can look for take out menus. While searching he thinks about Dick and his adventure tomorrow and secretly hopes that Temperance gives Dick an ass kicking for all the shit he has put her through. Jason cannot kick the grin off his face for the rest of the night.


End file.
